The present invention relates to detecting early signs of hearing loss, and more specifically, to detecting early signs of hearing loss using long term monitoring of routine interactions and behaviors.
Hearing loss is the third most common health condition affecting older adults, following behind hypertension and arthritis according to the New York Times. Hearing loss affects approximately 30-35% of adults between the ages of 65 and 75 years old. Hearing loss increases as a function of age during the aging process, and is known as presbycusis. Moreover, about 14% of adults between the ages of 45 and 64 have some amount of hearing loss, and about eight million adults between the ages of 18 and 44 have some hearing loss.
Medical guidelines indicate that adults should be screened for hearing loss every ten years through the age of 50, and at three year intervals thereafter. However, many adults do not have regular hearing tests administered. Some barriers to self-awareness or self-acceptance of hearing loss include the chronic nature of the hearing loss process over multiple years, and the hearing loss is too slow to notice. Many adults just assume that everyone else is mumbling. Ignorance or denial are common and the most important barrier to hearing aid use.
Among 2,232 retired older adults surveyed by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), 76% said that their hearing was of great importance to them; however, fewer than half of the survey participants had undergone a hearing test in the past five years. Nationally, fewer than 15% of seniors aged 65 and older are believed to have regular hearing tests.
Hearing loss also leads to poor cognitive function and aids in the onset of dementia, according to Frank Lin, M D, et al. “Hearing Loss and Incident Dementia,” Archives of Neurology, vol. 68, no. 2 (2011). Also, people with hearing problems sometimes try to control conversations by doing most of the talking, while others choose to withdraw from difficult social activities to avoid the strain and fatigue needed to hear. Hearing loss can also lead to feelings of embarrassment and shame and can affect a person's self-esteem.
Once hearing loss is found, attempts may be made to improve day-to-day functioning for the person with hearing loss, but may only be attempted once the hearing loss is detected. Such attempts include controlling the noise in the environment, carrying and using earplugs, keeping audio playback device to no more than half volume (or some other safe listening level that will not damage hearing further), limiting exposure time to loud irritating environments, etc. Moreover, attempts may be made to learn assertive communication, e.g., allow people to get the attention of a person with hearing loss before speaking, learn how and when to ask to rephrase a query, etc., learn how to use visual cues, e.g., read a speaker's facial expression, body language, contextual information, etc., re-arranging everyday spaces, e.g., rearranging furniture to ensure face-to-face view is possible, changing lighting to ensure good lighting on a conversation partner's face, installing carpeting for ambient noise absorption, etc. In addition, hearing assistive technologies, hearing aids, or cochlea implants may be utilized to overcome the hearing loss.